Genealogy Chat

Hi, Do anyone know where can I get information about White Bros soft drink factory? They were based in 82 Havelock RD, Derby. I have tried google but got nothing. I was told that G G granddad works there in early 1945.
Thanks
Valerie

Aha

Well, Valerie, I have been told they were also in Sheffield, and are ancestors of mine, but can find nothing about them.

Stay in touch.

The company was R Whites.

Margaret

Hi Margaret, Thanks I will try google R. Whites of Sheffield to see what will come up

Valerie

Found this...

Following words were ignored (too short or common): r
Displaying results 1 - 2 of 2 matches (0.38 seconds)
1. [100.00%] Britannia Soft Drinks Ltd. (Britvic) -- Company History
Britvic with its other soft drink holdings, including Britannia soft Drinks and Canada Dry Rawlings, which also owned HD Rawlings, producer of the R. White soft Drinks brand. The resulting company was renamed as Britvic soft Drinks Limited.
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Britannia-Soft-Drinks-Ltd-Britvic-Company-History.html - 21.0kb

http://www.britvic.com/Brand.aspx?id=50

Hi Valerie,

If my memory serves me right they were still going in the mid 80's as I think my brother used to work for them. I will see if I can find anything out for you.

Chris

I've just googled BygoneDerbyshire.

It mentions that Derby born billiards player Herbert Beetham won two major championships in 1960. He was born in April 1909 at the Havelock Road factory house of White's Brothers, the family soft drinks manufacturing business that he ran for years.

Chris

My problem is that I don't have any recognisable names connected to this firm. The surnames I have are Varlow, Standing, Pickup and Sudlow. Does anybody recognise any of these names in connection with lemonade, which I believe was also known a Soda Pop?

Margaret

Hi Margaret,

I don't recognise any of those names, I do remember White's Bros being very popular in the area. I will ask my brother tomorrow what he can remember. I've just had a look on google street view and where the factory was is now a childrens play area.

Chris

R Whites is a refreshing premium lemonade, made with real lemons. It is probably most famous for its long-standing advertising campaign – ‘The Secret Lemonade Drinker’.

In 1845 Robert and Mary White produced the first R Whites lemonade, along with ginger beer, from their home in Camberwell, London. Originally sold from a barrow, their drinks proved so refreshing that the business rapidly expanded. By 1869, the company had five production units and 16 depots across the Midlands and South East of London.

In 1891 Robert White took control of HD Rawlings, which supplied drinks to Royal Houses across Europe, and formed a limited company in 1894.

In the First World War, the company supplied over half of its horses and vans to the government’s war effort without seriously damaging output.

In 1970, the company opened a factory in Beckton, East London, which is now produces large pack carbonated drinks for Britvic Soft Drinks

1973 saw the launch of the brand’s most famous advertising campaign, ‘The Secret Lemonade Drinker’, which remained on screen until 1984. The ad featured a man in striped pyjamas creeping downstairs to raid the fridge for R Whites Lemonade. Ross McManus, the father of singer Elvis Costello) wrote and sang the original song, with his teenage son, providing backing vocals. The ad won a silver award at the 1974 International Advertising Festival.

In 1980 the company merged with the soft drinks division of Bass (Canada Dry UK) to form Canada Dry Rawlings Ltd.

The brand came into Britvic’s care in 1986, through the merger of Britvic Ltd, the soft drinks division of Allied Lyons Plc and Canada Dry Rawlings Ltd, which resulted in the formation of Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd.

In the early 1990s Britvic revived the Secret Lemonade Drinker, with a campaign that featured celebrities of the time, including Ronnie Corbett, Jimmy Greaves, Ian St John, Nicholas Parson, Frankie Howard and John McEnroe, making a surprise appearance behind the fridge door.

When I was at primary school in the 50s, there was a skipping game about them. I apologise for only being able to remember the first 2 lines:

"R Whites Lemonade goes off POP
the more you drink the more you HOP"

There would be a child at each end turning the rope, and other children would run in and skip the rope for each 2 lines of the "song".

Not very intellectual I know, but it was a favourite at the time!

Edit: I should add that this was in Richmond, Surrey so not local to where it was made.